I am asking this here, because I know it is not MC's fault. Can any of the more widely read forumites provide a link to an article that would explain why people who make series (and presumably get rather well paid to do so) think it is OK to take production breaks in the first place, never mind breaks so long that it doesn't even feel like the same series?

Just one example - Major Crimes. According to Wiki, S5 E13 was broadcast in the U.S. Sep19 2016. Ep14 was not shown until Feb22 2017. Over 5 months! Surely that doesn't qualify as the same series?

Must be a complete nightmare for schedulers. I know its very annoying for us...

Would love to read something that tries to explain and/or justify this practice.

Sometimes some of the lead actors have other commitments, or have babies or become ill. So not always a willy-nilly decision and can be very necessary. Or can even relate to funding or scheduling on the original channel that commissioned them eg NBC.

Countless reasons - you'll have to go into detail for each show to know why. Our focus is to help you know when this happens - on here on the Forum, on your Catch Up and also on the show broadcast itself. Very open to any other ways you think it will work better to let you know when a show takes a break - and when they come back.

Thanks. Was it ever thus? I don't remember a problem growing up in Zim, and also spent over 10 years in the UK without a seeing these kinds of gaps (on the FTA channels - couldn't afford Sky so can't speak to them)

I don't think FTA channels ever suffered from this as they only showed series much longer after they originally aired so generally breaks did not affect them. Having said that, I also don't think this was a common occurrence 10 years go.

Yes it was always like this - and customers in the US are very used to this. It is because we always ran well behind US schedules, that you never experienced it before. Express from the US has changed all of this.

It is just how the industry operates - new content comes in September, breaks over Thanksgiving, Christmas, elections, etc. All depends on how far in advance shows shoot - but often they like to do it on the go to stay relevant (think about all those clever references to current events in some shows).

Interesting guys - thanks. I agree with the FTA in Zim, but I think the main point is that it is a U.S. thing. Saw plenty of 'hot off the press' in the U.K. on FTA, but it was usually U.K. produced, and they just made the full series, then aired it.

It also may explain why we occasionally see a Sky (U.K.) promo for a series already started here a few weeks previously. Perhaps European viewers don't like these big breaks so EU broadcasters don't start showing it until they can show it 'properly'. So a series will, for example, start 6 weeks after it airs in the U.S., but finish as an 'Express'.

Interesting guys - thanks. I agree with the FTA in Zim, but I think the main point is that it is a U.S. thing. Saw plenty of 'hot off the press' in the U.K. on FTA, but it was usually U.K. produced, and they just made the full series, then aired it.

British shows usually have fewer episodes, generally 6-13, while American shows have around 20-24 for a full length series. So that does make putting an entire series together prior to broadcast easier.

What also contributes is America has a predefined TV season with most major shows being broadcast from about October to May (with a break to varying degrees over December and January), whereas it seems that the UK is more flexible - I think they may still have peak viewing periods where they tend to schedule the big shows, but they don't necessarily have to broadcast things then. Having fewer competing channels probably helps as well.

The bottom line for me is we're stuck with it, too many demand getting the hot series close to the U.S. broadcasts (although elsewhere we've seen that M-Net & co. are trying to improve on that selection based on what gives most concern).

So, another reason to record.
Like with the recent typically long Suits production break - we stockpile recorded the last few episodes before the break, then only watched one episode a month. Never lost track of the story and the break wasn't really a concern anymore.
But it takes patience not to watch the stockpiled episodes quicker... , something few seem willing to have anymore.

I find the "spoiler" a big issue. As most of you know by now I follow US and UK TV news very closely. And our if we're not hot on the heels or express it really ruins the storyline.

One would say well don't follow it. It's impossible to do it. With TV, Facebook, Twitter, instagram. Just to name a few

The reason why it didn't bother us say 10 years ago was because social media was just in the beginning stage now info is everywhere and with it spoilers. So to be perfectly honest. I prefer close Airings with all the drama it has